Door latch



A. EKMAN Dec. 29 1925- DOOR LATCH Filed May 9 I 192 Patented Dec. 29, 1925.

entree sir-Ares 1,567,124 PAT-ant QFHQE.

ANDREW EKMAN, OF GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO GRAND RAPIDS BRASS COMPANY, 03 GRAND RAPIDS, M GHIGA I, A QQRIPQRAT QN F IlIICI-IIGAN.

DOOR

Application filed. May 9,

T 0 (1 107mm it may concern.

Be it known that I, ANDREW EKMAN, a subject of the King of Sweden, residing at Grand Rapids, in the county of Kent and State of Michigan, have invented new and useful Improvements in Door Latches, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to latches for swingable doors, such as the doors of refrigerators and the like; and its object is, generally, to provide an improved device of that character whereby such doors may be securely and tightly held shut, and may nevertheless be easily opened.

This and any other and more specific objects hereinafter appearing are attained by, and the invention finds preferable embodiment in, the. structure or structures hereinafter particularly described in the body of this specification and illustrated by the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a top plan view of a' latch carried by a swingable door and a keeper thereforcarried by the jamb of the door;

Figure 2 is a front view of the same, the casings front being broken away;

Figure 3 is a top plan view of a portion thereof, the casing being sectioned on line 3-3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a front view of a portion of a latch, showing a modified construction, the casings front being broken away;

Figure 5 is a top plan view of the same, the casing being sectioned on line 55 of Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a top plan view of a portion of a latch, showing another modified con struction; and

Figure 7 is a front view of a portion of the same, the pivotal mounting thereof being shown in section.

In the drawings, my improved latch is shown mounted adjacent the free edge of a swingaole refrigerator door 1, the keeper 2 of the latch being mounted on the jamb 3 of the door. In the construction seen in Figures 2 and 3, the bolt 4 is rockingly mounted on a pivot 5, its end portion 6 being adapted to ride up on the inclined front portion 7 of the keeper, as the door is swung to nearly its closed position, and to fall to a position wherein it wedgingly engages latchingly the inclined inner face 8 of the keeper. This bolt at is yieldingly held in this wedgingly latching position by a spring 9 press- LATCH.

1924;. Seri l No. 712,014.

ing between an abutment 10 on the casing 11 of the latch and the short arm 12 of a member 13 swingably mounted at 5 and having a longer arm 15 pressing on the upper surface of the bolt 1 to urge it into its operative or latching position seen in Figure 2. As the bolt 4; is swung by its handle portion 17 or by its end portion 6 riding up on the incline 7 of the keeper, the longer arm 15 of the member 13 rises against the pressure of the spring 9; and when this arm 15 rises above the shoulder or support 18 on the easing, the spring swings said arm laterallythe mounting of said member being sufficiently loose on the pivot 5 to permit said lateral movement-and presses this arm in restlng position on said support, as indicated in Figure 3. As the door is swung further to its shut position, the edge 20 of the longer arm 15 of said member 13 strikes 'the vertical portion 21 of the keeper, and is thus moved off from said support and into latch-operating engagement with the upper surface of the bolt 4, thus pressing it by th spring 9 into its wedgingly latching engagement with the keeper. A modified construction is shown in Figures 4 and 5. In these views, the bolt member 1 adapted to latchingly engage the keeper is swingably mounted so loosely on the pivot 5 that it may not only rock thereon but may swing laterally in the same manner as the member 13 shown in Figures 2 and 3 rocks and swings. In this construction, the separate member 13 is dispensed with. This bolt member 1 may be swung by the leyer handle 17 pivoted at 5 and having a pm 23 engaging in the bolt' members slot 24:. It will be understood that this bolt member 1 is adapted to rest on the support or shoulder 18 and to be moved therefrom in the same manner as is the member 13 shown in Figures 2 and 3.

In Figure 6 another and even more simple modified construction is shown. In this View the bolt 4: is rockingly mounted so loosely on the pivot 5 that it may not only rock but also swing laterally in the same manner as the member 13 in Figures 2 and 3 and the bolt member 1 in Figures 4. and 5 rock and swing. In this last construction. the separate lever handle 17 is dispensed with, the handle portion 17 of the bolt 4 being integral therewith. This bolt 4: has a downwardly extending arm 12 against which the spring 9 presses.

" l" It will be seen that in Figures 2 and 4 the latch is shown in its operative position pressed by the spring 9 into wedging engagement with the keeper; while in Figures 8, 5 and 6 the spring 9 is held by the support 18 so that its pressure is not exerted on the latch. It will be seen that this spring 9 has no tendency to swing the door open, but presses the latch directly downwardly.

The invention being intended to be pointed out in the claims, is not to be limited to or by details of construction of the particular embodiment or embodiments thereof illustrated by the drawings or hereinbefore shown or described. I

I claim: 7

1. In combination with a keeper therefor, a door latch comprising: a bolt having a rocking movement into and out of latching engagement with the keeper; a support; a member having a rocking movement parallelly with the bolts said movement and a swinging movement transversely thereto; means for yieldingly pressing said member in resting position on the support and in latch-operating engagement with the bolt, said member being movable from the support by striking the keeper.

2. In combination with a keeper therefor, a door latch comprising: a bolt having a roc ring movement into and out of latching engagement with the keeper; a support; a member having a rocking movement parallelly with the bolts said movement and a swinging movement transversely thereto; means for yieldingly pressing said member in resting position on the support and in latch-operating engagement with the bolt, said member being movable from the support by striking the keeper; a rockingly mounted lever handle engaging the bolt to rock the same unlatchingly.

3. In combination with a keeper there-tor, a door latch comprising: a support; a swingably mounted member; a spring pressing said member in resting position on the support and into latch-operatingposition, said member being movable from the support by striking the keeper; a lever handle tulcrumed aXially-parallelly with said member and engaging said member to rock the same.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand at Grand Rapids, Michigan, this 7th day of May, 1924:.

ANDRE'W EKMAN. 

